Shintokyo International Language Academy
Vice Principal Takaya Yoshikawa
Takaya Yoshikawa, Vice Principal of our school, participated in the FY2025 Senior Teacher Training Program (organized by the Association for the Promotion of Japanese Language Education).
The details of the program and his reflections are reported below.
① What Led Me to Participate in the Training
The opportunity arose through an introduction by Uchida, a senior faculty member. My initial reaction upon receiving the invitation was one of anxiety: “I don’t know much about the current landscape of Japanese language schools—will I end up embarrassing myself?” and “Will I feel a gap between myself and teachers from other schools?”
Nevertheless, I recognized that this training was undoubtedly essential not only for my personal growth but also for building a better school. With equal parts anticipation and apprehension, I decided to participate.
② What I Learned from the Training
During the training, I gained a great deal of knowledge, including methods of organizational management, learner assessment techniques, how to create assessment rubrics, and perspectives on organizing and visualizing our school’s strengths and challenges.
Moreover, what impressed me most was realizing that head teachers from other schools were facing similar concerns to my own. Through discussions where we shared our struggles and brainstormed solutions together, I was able to build horizontal connections that transcend school boundaries—a significant achievement.
③ Looking Ahead to Future School Management
I intend to fully apply what I learned from this training to the future management of our school.
I was reminded once again that my crucial role is to create an environment conducive to learning for our students and a comfortable working environment for our faculty and staff.
Precisely because our school is relatively new and small, we have the strength to respond flexibly. Moving forward, I plan to actively incorporate the latest information from both within and outside the school to help create an even better educational environment.
